


Coming Home

by Too_Much_Fandom



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Childbirth, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hiding, Injury, Nesting, Pregnancy, Sibling Bonding, St Mungo's Hospital
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:15:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22772371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Too_Much_Fandom/pseuds/Too_Much_Fandom
Summary: After six months of being Missing In Action, Theseus Scamander has been found miraculously alive. Newt desperately wants to travel to his brother's bedside, but at the same time is extremely reluctant to leave Tina, who is due to give birth any day now...
Relationships: Newt Scamander & Theseus Scamander, Tina Goldstein/Newt Scamander
Comments: 12
Kudos: 94





	Coming Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ladybeatricegoldstein](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladybeatricegoldstein/gifts).



> This is a prompt fill for bea_goldstein, who asked for a story about Tina going into labor while Newt is away and he almost misses the birth.
> 
> Thank you kemara for looking it over!

Tina lay sprawled out on the sofa, resting her hands on her enormously swollen belly, and her feet on Newt's lap, as he massaged them. Jacob sat across from the couple in a rocking chair, reading aloud from Agatha Christie's Murder on the Links. 

Though it looked like the picture of a most relaxing evening, it was anything but. For over six months now, they'd been stuck in the safe house and the small property surrounding it. The baby was due to arrive any day now, and Newt and Jacob were going to be the only ones who could attend to Tina when it happened. Worst of all, Theseus was still missing. Though nobody dared to voice it aloud, they were all fairly certain that the next time they'd be seeing him would be to identify his body. 

The sharp knock at the door echoed through the room. Jacob paused in his reading. Both Newt and Tina pulled out their wands, but Tina only sat up, while Newt crept over to the door. 

"It is I, Albus Dumbledore," the knocker called out. 

Newt and Tina kept their wands raised, ready to attack, while Newt replied, "what form did my bogart assume in your class, and why?" 

Though they couldn't see Dumbledore through the closed door, they could hear the smile in his voice as he answered, "a desk. Your worst fear at that time was having to work in an office."

Newt and Tina exhaled in relief and Newt opened the door to let Dumbledore in. Jacob was laughing. 

"Only you, Newt, would fear working in an office," he wheezed. Newt grinned sheepishly, and sat back down next to Tina, taking her hand and looking expectantly at Dumbledore. 

"They found him," Dumbledore said without any pretense, "they found Theseus alive."

The party of three gaped at Dumbledore for a moment, before Newt whispered "thank Parcelsus," and buried his face in Tina's shoulder, crying tears of relief. Tina held her husband close, stroking his hair, and Jacob got up to give Newt a congratulatory pat on the back. 

"How-how is he?" Tina stammered, looking back over at Dumbledore. 

"He's not out of danger yet," Dumbledore sighed heavily, "he is gravely injured, not surprisingly. But, he was safely transported to St. Mungo's, and is being treated, so he has a fighting chance."

Everyone sat around silently for several more minutes, while Newt regained his composure. When he sat back up, rubbing his eyes, Dumbledore broke the silence. 

"I can take you to see him, if you'd like, Newt."

"I-I-I…" Newt stammered, looking back and forth between Tina and Dumbledore. Since they'd gone into hiding, shortly after Theseus' disappearance, Newt was the only one to leave the wards. He'd accompanied several of the missions that had gone looking for his brother. He'd made the painful decision to stop about a month ago, as Tina's pregnancy neared its conclusion. He didn't want to risk being away from her so close to the birth. 

Tina gave Newt's hand a gentle squeeze, and he turned to look at her. 

"Of course you should go. It won't take long. We'll be alright," she patted her pregnant belly. 

Newt bit his lip and looked at Dumbledore. "You won't be gone more than 48 hours, if even that, including travel," Dumbledore assured him, "though, of course, it's up to you."

Newt placed an arm protectively around Tina's waist, and brought his other hand over to cup her bump. "I can't do it," he finally said resolutely, "I can't leave my wife this close-" 

"It's fine, Newt, please," Tina insisted, stroking his cheek, "it'll only be a little bit, it'll be fine."

"No," Newt said, kissing her softly, "I won't leave you, I couldn't-" 

"If it were Queenie, you'd be pushing me to go even if you couldn't come with me," Tina said softly. 

"Yes, but there is no possible scenario in which I'd be nine months pregnant!" Newt exclaimed, causing everyone to chuckle, despite the gravity of the situation. 

"I gotta agree with Tina," Jacob cut in, "it's only a coupla days, and we could be waiting around another week, or more, for this baby to come. And you got your brother, back, Newt…" he trailed off, as his eyes welled up. 

It was hard to argue with Jacob. Since Theseus had gone missing, he'd talked more about his own experience with losing a brother, offering a listening ear and kind understanding to Newt. Dumbledore looked on. Clearly outnumbered, Newt threw up his hands. 

"I'll go, but I'm going just to see him, and find out the exact situation," Newt decided, "I will come home immediately, and return to Theseus only after the baby arrives."

"Sounds like a good plan, so, you want to pack up now?" Dumbledore asked. 

Newt didn't reply. He softly kissed Tina's temple and got up to prepare a few things. He waved his wand to get a small bag packing, then clambered into his case to grab a few things. 

"You're not planning on bringing anyone with you to the hospital, are you?!" Jacob asked incredulously, yelling down into the case. 

Newt didn't answer, but stumbled out a few minutes later with his arms full of potions, various first aid materials, and the book Dumbledore had brought him on the basics of midwifery, once it had become clear that they were likely not going to be able to have a healer attend the birth. Newt had quite a lot of experience with delivering babies, but not human babies. He felt better being able to read up and prepare for what to do with a human birth. 

Tina rolled her eyes. "We're going to be fine, Newt," she reiterated, "what are the odds this happens while you're gone?" 

"I'm not taking chances with you and our child, love," he stroked her cheek, before laying out all the items, "You're so very close to your time…I'll be as fast as I can, but I want to make sure everything is ready, just in case."

He listed the items to Jacob as he laid them out. "A calming potion, if she needs help relaxing, here's a potion in case her blood pressure gets too high, I read that can be a problem, a potion in case a fever develops…" he gulped, thinking of all the dangers that came with birth, "potion to speed things up if it's going too slowly, potion for…for slowing blood loss, if it comes to that…"

His resolve to leave was waning. Too many dangers, too much that could go wrong…and Jacob couldn't do magic, if spells were required… 

Tina sensed him wavering. "Please, Newt. Your brother needs you," she implored, "I won't be alone, everything, and everyone will be fine."

Newt swallowed, but nodded. He handed Jacob the book. "Just…review the basics, yes?" 

Jacob looked a bit pale at the thought that he might have to deliver a baby, but hey, what were the odds? Newt would be back soon enough. 

"Yeah, sure pal! Now go!" he admonished, "the longer you drag this out, the longer it'll take you to get back!" 

Newt took a deep breath and turned back to Tina, taking her in his arms. They kissed, slowly, lovingly. 

"I love you," he whispered into her hair, "please stay safe." Then, he bent down, cradling her belly, and kissed it, before whispering, "and I love you. Now, you be patient, little one, and don't give your mummy any trouble."

Everyone smiled fondly at Newt's little speech to the baby. Then, he stood back up to kiss his wife one more time and squeeze her hands, before grabbing his bag and following Dumbledore outside. 

***************

It was early morning when they arrived at St. Mungo's. Of course the patient's brother would be allowed in, the receptionist explained to Newt, but the healers were doing their morning examination, so he'd have to wait until that was done. She directed him to the waiting room, with assurances that someone would fetch him soon. 

"Right, then," said Dumbledore, "would you like me to stay, or just come fetch you same time tomorrow?" 

"I'll see you tomorrow," Newt decided, "I need-I need a bit of time to think before I go in. You know, what I want to say to him if he's awake."

"Understood," Dumbledore patted him on the shoulder, "tomorrow, then." And with a whoosh, he was gone. 

Newt sat down, trying to compose his thoughts. He was, of course, happy. Theseus was alive. As time had passed, he'd increasingly despaired of ever seeing his brother alive again. But still, what do you say to the brother who'd been gone for more than half a year? Who you'd shed countless tears over? Who you'd begun to grieve for, anticipating that the ordeal was unlikely to end happily? 

As he tried to think about his reunion with Theseus, his mind kept drifting back to that horrible day when he'd disappeared. The day that had begun so joyfully, before disintegrating into horror and dread… 

_ Tina stepped out of their room, all showered and dressed for dinner, just as Newt was finishing with his table setting charm. He slid his wand back in its holster, then smiled radiantly at Tina, before picking her up and twirling her around.  _

_ "You're glowing, darling," he told her as he put her down and kissed her soundly. He lovingly placed his hands on her still-flat abdomen and they both smiled giddily at each other.  _

_ They'd been absolutely overjoyed ever since finding out six weeks ago that they were having a baby. They'd kept their joy to themselves for a bit, but now that Tina was almost three months along, they decided it was time to share the happy news with the two uncles-to-be. _

_ Another languid kiss was soon interrupted by a knock at the door, and they ushered in Jacob, offering him a drink while they waited for Theseus, who was coming to dinner as well and would be there shortly.  _

_ An hour later, with still no sign of Theseus, Newt suggested they start eating. Surely, Theseus was held up at work, he wouldn't be insulted that they didn't wait. They dragged out each course, however, and Tina kept nervously looking at the door every few minutes.  _

_ When it was time for dessert, Theseus was now nearly three hours late. This wasn't like him. At the very least, he should have sent a message to let them know.  _

_ "I don't like this," Tina said uneasily, "I think we should go check on him." _

_ Newt wasn't as uneasy as Tina, but agreed. Jacob said goodnight and went home. They hadn't gotten around to telling him the news after all.  _

_ They decided to check Theseus' flat first, in case he'd finally left work, that way, they were less likely to miss each other. Newt, who had been mostly calm until now, felt his stomach drop as he saw the front door hanging off its hinges. He started to run toward the flat, but Tina grabbed his arm, holding him back.  _

_ "You can't just charge in there, there could be attackers lurking!" she whispered harshly. Newt was struggling against her grip, but realized she was right, and pulled out his wand at the same time that Tina pulled out hers.  _

_ "Hominem revelio," Tina cast the spell. Nothing. She and Newt exchanged a dark look. No attackers, but it meant no Theseus either.  _

_ Newt once again strode purposefully towards the entrance, and Tina once again stopped him. "Just because there's no one here, doesn't mean they didn't leave any traps!" she admonished.  _

_ She waved her wand once more, checking for all manner of traps, and found nothing. "OK, we can go in now." _

_ They walked in, side by side, wands still out. From the moment they stepped over the threshold, it was clear that there had been a struggle. Cracks and scorch marks on the walls. Broken furniture and other items strewn about.  _

_ "Mercy Lewis," Tina whispered, as her eyes welled up with tears.  _

_ Newt said nothing. He walked through the flat, as though expecting to find his brother hiding somewhere, waiting to pop out and laugh, explaining that this was all a prank, even though the spell had proven no one was home.  _

_ "Newt," Tina squeezed his arm sympathetically. He gazed into her teary eyes, and that was the moment that it hit him. Theseus had been captured, likely by someone working for Grindelwald.  _

_ He collapsed into tears, burying his face in Tina's shoulder and she held him tight. "I promise, honey, we're gonna find him. We're gonna find him, we're gonna bring your brother home…" _

_ With a shaking hand, Tina touched her auror's badge, to alert the rest of the department. Within seconds, there was a series of pops, as they apparated to the scene. One look at the chaos surrounding them, and at their boss's sister in law comforting his brother, told them all they needed to know.  _

_ It was soon decided that half the team would stay to gather evidence, and the other half would convene at the Ministry for an emergency meeting. Newt and Tina went with the Ministry group.  _

_ The next several days were a sleepless blur, of theories, meetings, rescue plans. Newt's head was spinning. He just wanted his brother back. Safe. Within a week, it was decided that Newt and Tina Scamander were to go into hiding, especially given Tina's condition (of which everyone had by now been informed).  _

_ Newt demanded to be included on the rescue missions, and the team agreed that he could be fetched from hiding whenever there was a lead to follow. Tina wanted to ask for the same, but one withering look from Newt stopped her. She knew he was right. If it was just her, she'd have argued, but there was someone else whose safety she had to consider.  _

_ And so, they had gone to the safe house. They brought Jacob with them, worried that his safety would not be a priority for the Ministry. They chose Dumbledore as their Secret Keeper, and thus the matter was settled…  _

"Mr. Scamander," a voice shook him out of his reverie, "come this way, you may see your brother now."

Newt silently followed the healer escorting him to the room, as she explained the situation to him. 

"He's doing much better than when he was brought in yesterday," she informed him, "but he still has a very long way to go. He is badly malnourished, dehydrated, has been repeatedly tortured and has all manner of Dark Magic still in his system…"

Newt nodded, tears welling up thinking about what his brother had endured all this time. 

"He's still unconscious," the healer continued, "I can't say when he'll wake. But talk to him. He'll hear you. It will help."

Newt swallowed thickly and nodded. He was brought into the room, and there, before him, lay Theseus. He was barely recognizable, with the bruising, his emaciated frame, and all the wires hooking him up to various magical medical devices. The only sign that he was alive was his chest rising and falling. 

Newt sat down in a chair next to the bed. The healer said that Theseus would hear, even if he couldn't respond, and that it would be beneficial to him. And so, weird as it felt to have a one sided conversation, he ruffled Theaeus' hair (the way Theseus usually did to him) and then placed a hand on his arm and started talking. 

"Hey, Thes, it's me, Newt, your little brother," he began quietly. "I'm so grateful that you're home. Well, not home home, you're actually at St. Mungo's, which obviously isn't home, well, of course you know it isn't home, but, well, you know what I mean. You're home. You came back to us." He was rambling, and it felt a bit weird, but he didn't care. He'd been instructed to talk to his brother, so he kept going. 

"There's been a lot going on since you…well, since the last time we saw you. For one thing, Tina and I were sent into hiding after…and we decided to take Jacob with us. So we've been living in this safe house, the three of us, and it's been cozy, but also terribly boring, and we've been stuck there, just waiting. Waiting for you. Well, I think we're still going to be stuck there awhile longer, but when you get a little better, when you can leave here, you'll come stay with us."

Newt fell into an easy pattern, regaling his unconscious brother with tales of the creatures' latest antics, and even reminiscing a bit about the past. There was one topic he kept dancing around, however. He wanted to tell Theseus the news that he'd meant to share the day he disappeared. And yet, Newt wondered if it was better to wait until he was awake. The healer said Theseus could hear him. But did that mean he'd actually remember any of it when he woke? 

As the hours wore on, Newt decided that he would share. Perhaps hearing something so happy would help. 

"So, there's something I've been meaning to tell you," Newt began, "I, um, I didn't mean for it to be like this. I pictured it very differently. Tina and I were so thrilled, well, we still are thrilled, of course, and we were going to tell you when you came to dinner, but...but…but you never came…" he trailed off, collecting himself as memories of that evening pushed their way to the surface. 

"But never mind that, you're here now," Newt smiled, "and, well, you're going to be an uncle any day now! We can't wait! And I know you're going to be a wonderful uncle. You will be. You're going to be OK," Newt insisted, "you're going to get better and come home to be with your family. We'll celebrate together soon…"

Newt yawned and looked at the clock on the wall. Though it was only early evening, he'd been up since the crack of dawn. Dumbledore would be back at the next dawn. His mind traveled back toward Tina, alone with Jacob at the safe house, and so near delivery. It would be another 24 hours or so until he would be back. He hoped she was alright…

**************

"Tina, you need to take a rest. You shouldn't be running around cleaning stuff. At least use your wand if you're not gonna let me do it," Jacob chided Tina, who had been spending the entire evening cleaning the house with a frenetic energy, "Newt's not gonna like that you're over exerting yourself, in your condition…"

Tina rolled her eyes. "You know, for a guy who likes to claim that worrying means you suffer twice, he sure worries a lot!" 

Jacob chuckled for a moment, remembering the first time he'd heard Newt say that. But then he grew serious. "I think he really did believe that at one point," he mused, "and maybe he still does, in theory. But ever since he fell in love with you, and now with a baby on the way, and what happened with his brother… I don't think he can help but worry a lot."

"Yeah, I get it," Tina sighed, "but I just can't help it right now! The last few days I can barely move, and all of a sudden, tonight I'm just so restless and need to get up and DO things…"

"I mean, if this is actually making you feel better, I guess I can't argue," Jacob shrugged, "just don't do anything too crazy. I need to at least be able to tell Newt when he gets back that I took care of you guys."

Tina rolled her eyes again, but didn't protest further. She understood where both Newt and Jacob were coming from. Anyway, part of her restlessness was the need for distraction until Newt got back. Although she'd been the one to convince him to go, it didn't make his absence any easier. She looked up at the clock. It was after 9. He should be home in less than 24 hours. Surely, the baby would wait until then. 

Although she was still very restless and not at all tired, she figured sleep would at least make time pass faster. By the time morning came, Newt would already be on his way back. And by evening, he'd be here. She wasn't going to sit and stare at the clock until then, so she got ready for bed. 

Sleep did not come easily. By 11, she was still wide awake. Her feet were sore and her back was aching something fierce. That happened every night, lately, but Newt was excellent at massaging her aches away. Without him there, the pain and discomfort were unrelenting. She considered waking Jacob, but then decided against it. That would be too weird. She'd just have to power through. Newt would be back soon enough. Tina soon managed to doze into an uneasy sleep. 

She awoke with a start. Her back was hurting again, and this time she felt a squeeze around her middle, causing her to suck in her breath. She'd felt that happen a few times in the last few weeks, but never like that. However, she knew it didn't mean much, not unless there was a regular pattern. 

Through her haze of exhaustion and discomfort, she fumbled for her wand. "Lumos," she whispered, and pointed the light at the clock. 5 am.  _ Well, I just gotta make it till dinner time. He'll be back by then.  _

She stretched a bit, then lay back down, hoping to fall back asleep. However, after several minutes of tossing and turning, she felt that squeeze again. She immediately lit her wand again, to read the clock. 5:12, or so. That was…not a long time since the last one. But not a pattern yet. However, she sat straight up in the bed. There was no way she could even attempt to sleep now. She breathed nervously and waited, the ticking of the clock pounding in her ears (or was that her heart?) When she felt the squeeze again, she once more illuminated the clock. 5:25. It was definitely starting to look like a pattern. 

By 6 o'clock, there was no doubt. Labor had begun. She put on her robe and slippers, and shuffled over to Jacob's room, rapping on the door loudly, urgently. 

"Whassup…?" he mumbled sleepily from the doorway, "so early-" 

"Jacob, it's time. The baby is coming."

**************

With Theseus still unconscious, and Newt running out of things to ramble about, he settled in for the night. He transfigured his chair into a recliner, then patted Theseus on the head before settling in.

"Good night, Thes," he said softly, "I'm right here. Don't worry about waking me, if you're awake, I want to know, no matter the time."

Newt fell into an uneasy sleep. He remained semi-conscious of the constant beeping and whirring of the machines in the room. Then, he heard moaning. The moaning grew louder, and more persistent, and then turned into his name. Someone was calling his name…

He jolted awake and immediately looked over at Theseus. "Newt…" a raspy voice said, "that you, Newt?" 

"Theseus…you're awake!" Newt nearly knocked his seat over jumping up. He wanted to hug his brother, but was nervous about hurting him, so just loosely circled his shoulders. 

"What…what kind of welcome is that?" Theseus grunted weakly, "come here, I want a proper hug!" and he pulled Newt down towards him, in a surprisingly strong embrace given his condition. 

"Oh shit!" he winced, suddenly dropping his hold on Newt, "that…that hurts."

"Well, yes, I had assumed it might," Newt said defensively, "that's why I didn't give you what you'd consider an acceptable hug."

"Fine," Theseus pouted. 

"So…what do you know so far?" Newt asked tentatively. 

"I assume I'm in St. Mungo's, or somewhere comparable?" Theseus gestured to his bed. 

"A good guess," Newt smiled indulgently, "St. Mungo's it is."

"I remember, some aurors brought me here, and then I blacked out," Theseus explained, "and I thought I heard your voice, but figured it was a dream."

"Not a dream," Newt squeezed his shoulder, "just like I'm not dreaming that you're home. Did you-do you remember anything I said to you?" 

Theseus shook his head. "No," he said in a raspy voice, "I heard you, but I couldn't make out what you were saying…" he broke into a cough. 

"Oh, forgive me!" Newt exclaimed, waving his wand to summon over some water, "should have done this first, drink up, Thes."

Theseus gratefully accepted the cup, but was too weak to hold it by himself, so Newt helped him hold it to his lips to drink. 

"So," Theseus murmured, a little less raspy than before, but still struggling to breathe and speak at the same time, "how long did those… those bloody bastards have me? I lost count after the first few weeks."

Newt sighed painfully. "Over six months. We-we thought we might never see you again," his eyes welled up, as Theseus patted his hand, "but we never stopped looking…"

"Merlin's bloody ballsack," Theseus whispered, "that's a long time…the others-Tina, Jacob? They're safe?"

"Yes," Newt told him, though Theseus immediately noted the tightness around his mouth and worry in his eyes. 

"Newt, you're worried about them," Theseus told him, "what's going on?" 

"Tina…Tina's pregnant." 

"Th-that's wonderful!" Theseus smiled as widely as he could, and patted Newt's arm affectionately, "congratulations! So why the-" 

"Nothing, it's a silly worry, really," Newt cut in, trying to sound confident but still belying his nervousness, "it's just, well, she's very close to giving birth, and I'm just nervous-" 

"You are such a prat," Theseus attempted to swat Newt's arm, but was too weak to actually do it, "you left your nine months pregnant wife alone-" 

"She's not alone, Jacob's with her!" Newt explained, "and it wasn't ideal, I was-AM-quite nervous about it, as you can see. She practically pushed me out the door, insisted I at least see you for a little bit. I leave first thing in the morning to travel-"

"Travel? Why on earth…?"

"We're in a safe house, in a remote location," Newt whispered, "right after you…it was decided that Tina and I should relocate. We brought Jacob with us, we didn't trust anyone else to look out for him." Theseus nodded in agreement. 

"Anyway, due to the remoteness of the location and the security measures, it takes ten to twelve hours of travel from here, so I'm leaving in the morning and hopefully will be home by dinner time," Newt continued, "I'm sorry," he patted his brother's shoulder, "I wish I could stay longer, but-" 

"Don't apologize," Theseus insisted, "of course you must return to your pregnant wife…" He trailed off as his breathing grew more labored. 

"You alright there? Should I fetch someone?" Newt asked, concerned. 

"No, just…sore...tired," Theseus admitted. 

"Go back to sleep, then, I'm not going anywhere till morning," Newt told him. 

"If I…don't see you…before you leave," Theseus whispered, eyes closed and already slipping back to sleep, "give Tina...and the baby, when it's born…give them a hug and a kiss from me."

"Of course," Newt promised, "sleep well." Theseus was already asleep by the time he finished his reply. Newt then curled up to get a bit more sleep himself. Tomorrow was going to be a long day. 

When Dumbledore fetched him at the crack of dawn, Newt hovered hesitantly over Theseus, wondering whether or not to wake him to say goodbye. He finally settled on patting his head. 

Theseus stirred, and opened one eye. "Shh," Newt assured him, "go back to sleep. I have to go now."

"Right," Theseus muttered, "stop dilly-dallying and get back to your pregnant wife, you prat!" 

"Take care, Thes," Newt replied with a smile, "I'll come back to see you after the baby arrives."

And with that, he followed Dumbledore outside, to begin the long journey home. 

********

"What do you mean the baby's coming?!" Jacob shook himself to alertness immediately. 

"Well, not right this second," Tina clarified, "but the labor pains…they've definitely started," she winced, as another contraction squeezed her. 

Jacob looked at the clock. "Newt's not due back till tonight, though!" 

"Yeah, I know!" Tina snapped, "but the baby doesn't seem to care about that!" 

"I guess it's time to set up the stuff Newt left us, then," Jacob said, as the color drained from his face. 

"Well, the book did say it can take awhile, especially if it's the first time," Tina shrugged, trying to sound reassuring both for herself and for Jacob. 

"Yeah, well let's hope that book is right!" Jacob exclaimed, running to and fro to get everything in place. 

Half an hour later, Tina was back in bed, resting. Jacob had set up all the potions on the nightstand, and had towels and linens folded neatly atop the dresser. A large kettle of water was boiling in the kitchen. 

"So, uh, how are you feeling now?" Jacob asked Tina nervously. 

"I've been better," she groaned, arching her back, "but the pains are still only coming 10 to 15 minutes apart. Which is good, it means we have time for Newt to make it back…" she sucked in her breath through another contraction, and Jacob winced sympathetically, as he flipped through the book trying to figure out the next step. 

"It says here I'm supposed to check…check you and see…" he blushed crimson. 

Tina blushed to match. "No thank you!" she exclaimed, then, smiling sheepishly, "no offense, Jacob."

"None taken, believe me, I don't want to anymore than you want me to," he assured her, then, "hey, it says here there's ways to do it yourself! Wanna see?" 

He handed Tina the book and she looked through it. "Thanks. Yeah, I think that'll do, it says I can check myself by feel…do you mind stepping out for a moment?" 

Jacob immediately stepped outside, but waited by the door to be called back in. 

He came back in as soon as he heard his name. "So, it was a little tricky, but I think I'm about 4 centimeters open," Tina mumbled, embarrassed about having to talk about such things with Jacob, but having no choice, "according to this, it means I'm definitely in labor, but very early on."

She looked at the clock. It was almost 7. This was going to be a long day. Dumbledore had said 48 hours at most when he'd left with Newt. Tina hoped that it would not actually take until the 48 hour mark. Surely it was possible for Newt to come a little earlier than evening time? Hope was all she could do. 

"Hey, Jacob? You mind reading me some more Agatha Christie?" she asked, "I think this is gonna take awhile, and I need a distraction."

"Sure thing," Jacob grinned, and ran to get his book. 

It didn't take long for Jacob to abandon reading in favor of helping Tina walk around. She was finding that resting didn't help, and the birthing book advised moving as much as possible. They made countless revolutions around the garden outside, Tina leaning on Jacob's arm for support. 

"Say, you wanna maybe check on your progress?" Jacob suggested. 

"I dunno that it'll make much difference," Tina huffed, "they're coming closer together, so that's something…but I'm definitely not near the end…" 

Jacob nodded and continued walking with her. There wasn't anything to do but wait. And hope Newt came home soon… 

Jacob pulled out his pocket watch. "Just after one. When do you think-" 

"Hell if I know!" Tina snapped, then, with an apologetic look, "sorry Jacob. It just…it really hurts."

"I know sweetheart, and you just want your husband back, I understand," Jacob squeezed her shoulder. She could have used her sister too. They both knew it, but they never spoke of her. They just tacitly acknowledged her absence when she was missed the most. 

By three, Tina was slowing down considerably as the pain became more powerful than the attempts to alleviate it. Jacob helped her back into her room, where she draped herself over the seat of a chair, moaning. Jacob was desperately flipping through the book looking for more ideas for pain relief. 

"Surely you wizards have something? A potion? A spell?" he cried out, as he read the same paragraph over and over about walking and shifting positions, and hot water. 

Tina shook her head. "Ain't…nothing...we got…the no-maj…don't have…" she huffed out, before moaning loudly as another contraction seized her. 

Jacob kept looking at the clock every few minutes, as if it might make Newt materialize. Not that he could do anything either, until it was actually time to deliver, but he was certain Newt's presence would offer Tina some small measure of comfort. With nothing more to do, Jacob offered Tina his hand. He didn't dare complain when she squeezed it hard enough to bruise. Tina clearly had it far worse. 

Just after five o'clock, things kicked into high gear. It started with a splash. 

"What the hell was that?" Jacob paled as he watched the growing puddle on the floor directly below Tina. 

"That would…be...water breaking…" Tina huffed, "the book…check the… AHHHHHHH!!!" she shrieked, as the most painful contraction yet ripped through her. 

Jacob flipped through the book in a panic. He found a section on broken water. Normal… That was good, well, so long as it was clear. He took a brief look at the puddle on the floor. It looked clear, so that was good. What else? Ooh, it did tend to make the pain worse…at just that moment, Tina screamed again, in agony. Well, supposedly normal…could be near the end, but could be hours more, according to the book. 

_ Geez, I hope she doesn't have to deal with this for too long...Newt, come back soon!  _

Jacob looked back in the book. He now found himself reading that accidental releases of magic were common at this stage. 

"Uh, Tina?" he called out tentatively, not wanting to bother her unnecessarily, "what do they mean by accidental-" 

BANG!! 

Jacob suddenly found himself, along with several loose objects, flung halfway across the room. "Oh," he rubbed his head as he picked himself up off the floor, "that's what the book meant."

Tina put her hands to her mouth. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, before shrieking again. "Fuck Morrigan, I want to die!" she cried out.

"Don't worry about it," Jacob assured her, taking her hand again, "the book said that was gonna happen…I'm sorry it hurts so much, Teen," he nervously glanced at the clock once more, "I'm right here and Newt'll be home before you know it… You're doing great, doll…"

Tina squeezed his hand and screamed once more… 

**********

After a long day of travel, the safe house finally came into view. Newt's step immediately lightened as he made his way over.

"Easy there, I'm sure everything's fine," Dumbledore puffed, jogging to keep up.

"I know, it's just, you know how hard it was for me to leave, with Tina so close," Newt sighed, "I'm just relieved to be home. Say, Dumbledore, would you like to join us for dinner?" 

"Thank you, that's very kind," Dumbledore replied, "as long as Tina and Jacob are feeling up to it, I'd be happy to."

"I'm sure they'll be glad of the company," Newt assured him, "now, come on, I don't want to be away a second longer than necessary…"

They reached the door together, and Newt tapped out the unlocking spell to open it. They stepped inside and were immediately greeted to Tina screaming bloody murder. 

Newt paled and held his wand out in front of him as he charged furiously, ready to kill whoever was attacking his pregnant wife. Dumbledore pulled out his wand and ran after Newt, to the room from which the screams were emanating. 

The two men glanced wildly around the room they'd just burst into. It was a mess, as though there had been some sort of tussle, yet no one was in there, aside from Jacob and Tina, who was pale and sweaty in her nightgown, and screaming as though she'd been hit by the cruciatus curse. 

Jacob looked up and ran over to Newt, crushing him in his embrace. "About damn time, Newt! She's in labor!" 

"L-labor?" Newt stammered, still confused from having thought Tina was being attacked. 

"The baby…the baby is coming…" Jacob gestured towards Tina, who was leaning against the bed, panting and moaning miserably. 

Now it all made sense. The mess must have been caused by Tina releasing magic, which he'd read was common…  _ Merlin, she must be close if that's happened already…  _

There was no time to wallow in his guilt at having clearly left at exactly the wrong time. He was home now, and he knew what he had to do. 

"Tina, darling!" he called out to her as he strode over, "I'm home. I'm here."

He took her hand and then tucked a lock of damp hair behind her ear before tenderly kissing her sweaty forehead. "I'm here. I've got you, Tina. I love you."

"I hate you," Tina moaned miserably. 

Newt looked over at Jacob, clearly wounded but not wanting to disturb Tina. 

"Sorry, pal, can't say I blame her," he shrugged sheepishly, "this giving birth thing is no joke. It's been a rough day for her, and you're the reason she's in this state... I think-I hope-it's near the end. The water broke over an hour ago."

Newt nodded in understanding, then turned his attention back to Tina. "Love, may I check to see how close you are?" 

"I just wanna die…I can't do this…" she groaned. 

"It's going to be ok, I've got you, Tina," he told her as he kissed her forehead, before signaling for Dumbledore and Jacob to step outside the room so that he could examine Tina. 

She screamed again before Newt could lift her nightgown. He quickly placed a hand between her legs and his eyes grew wide as he realized that he felt the baby's head. 

"Tina! The baby is coming right now! Almost done, love," he said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone, as he helped her into position. Tina moaned in response, too miserable to really care, but allowed Newt to guide her. 

He directed her to grip the bed post and squat. He felt her trembling, as he kissed her temple and whispered in her ear, "I'll catch you. I've got you, Tina," before kneeling down to guide their child into the world. 

He wished desperately that he could hold her hands and gaze encouragingly into her eyes while a qualified midwitch delivered the baby, but there wasn't a choice. He was the most qualified person available to see his wife and child through, and so he did what he had to do. 

"That's it, love, give another good push, I can see the head descending," he called out, hoping she could hear him. 

Tina bore down again, and Newt could see she was getting closer. He kept shouting encouragement while keeping his hands at the ready. With one more push, the head crowned, causing Tina to scream her loudest yet. 

"That's it, the worst is over!" Newt yelped, as he slipped a hand in to help guide the baby's shoulder out after the head, just as he'd done with so many creatures. With two more pushes from Tina, the baby was out, and safely in Newt's arms. Tina collapsed against the bed, trembling, but no longer in pain, as a sharp cry filled the room. 

Dumbledore and Jacob stepped back in while Newt used a severing charm to cut the umbilical cord. With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore sent some of the linens over so that Newt could clean and wrap the baby, while Jacob helped an exhausted Tina into the bed. 

Newt was smiling and crying happy tears as he carried the baby over to Tina, who was holding out her arms and crying happy tears as well. Newt deposited the baby into her arms, and the elated new parents shared a passionate kiss. 

"I love you Newt," Tina murmured as they broke apart, but kept their foreheads together, "I'm sorry I told you I hated you, I didn't mean-" 

Newt cut her off with another kiss, before replying "I understand, you were in so much pain, and it was my fault, I'm so sorry-" 

"No, don't be sorry, it was worth it!" Tina insisted, "all worth it for our beautiful…um, Newt, you didn't tell me whether we have a daughter or a son."

Newt smacked his forehead. "Bugger, I forgot to check!" 

Jacob broke down into hysterical laughter. "Nice one, buddy!" he wheezed, while Tina smacked her forgetful husband's shoulder playfully, before slightly undoing the baby's wrapping to see for herself. 

"Newt, honey," she announced proudly, "we have a son! A beautiful, perfect baby boy!" 

The couple shared another sweet kiss, laughing joyfully, and then taking turns kissing their son's little forehead. 

"I do have to ask the others to leave for a moment, because we're not quite done with you yet," Newt announced after another minute, "and this part, we cannot afford to forget."

Once again, Jacob and Dumbledore stepped out, and Newt spent the next few minutes delivering the afterbirth, carefully checking it once it emerged to make sure it was completely whole, before vanishing it with his wand. He then massaged Tina's womb, causing her to yelp. 

"Mercy Lewis, that's almost as bad as labor!" she cried out, but within a few minutes, it was over. 

"I'm sorry love," Newt apologized, as he stood back up and waved his wand over his clothes to clean himself up, "but it's a necessary procedure, to make you don't bleed too much."

He climbed back onto the bed and hugged his wife and son tightly. "I love you both so very much," he sighed contentedly. 

Tina kissed him, and then opened the top of her nightgown to feed the baby. Newt helped the best he could, summoning the book over to open the section on nursing. It took a bit of fumbling, but Tina soon had her son eating his first meal. The happy little family remained snuggled close until the baby dropped off to sleep, and Tina had covered herself back up, at which point, she called Jacob and Dumbledore back in.

As they oohed and ahhed over the sleeping baby in Tina's arms, Newt had an idea. "Dumbledore, would you mind taking a photograph? To show Theseus, when you go back there?" 

"A marvelous idea!" Dumbledore agreed, summoning Newt's camera with his wand. He snapped several photos, from different angles. "Hopefully at least one will come out well. Theseus will be thrilled, I'm sure."

"I fixed a bit of dinner, I can bring it in here for you guys on a tray," Jacob offered. 

"Oh, yes please," Newt agreed, "Tina especially needs a good meal after all that."

Newt held his son while Tina ate, and then, after a few bites of his own dinner, set him down in the cradle, which was now standing right next to the bed. He and Tina smiled fondly at their child, then Newt climbed back into the bed, wrapping his arms around Tina and kissing her forehead. They were soon both fast asleep. 

**************

_ Six weeks later _

"And don't forget to pack up the pictures!" Theseus chided as leaned on his cane, smiling fondly at the photographs of his nephew littering the nightstand in his hospital room. 

"Of course, though you are going to actually see him in person soon enough," Newt grinned, "now come on, I'm sure you're ready to be well rid of this place."

When they arrived at the safe house, Newt helped Theseus up the front steps and over the threshold. 

Tina and Jacob allowed Newt to steer Theseus to the couch before they fell upon him with hugs and back claps. 

"We are so glad to have you home, with us, where you belong!" Tina exclaimed. 

"Here, let me bring you something to eat, it's gotta be better than hospital food!" Jacob offered. 

"Actually, can I first meet-" 

He didn't have to finish, because Newt was already carrying the baby over, with the widest smile Theseus had ever seen on his brother. 

"Ari, come, meet your uncle Theseus!" Newt cooed, softly kissing his son's forehead before depositing him in Theseus' arms, "Theseus, meet your nephew, Ari Scamander." 

Newt slid his arm around Tina's waist, as she rested her head on his shoulder. Jacob smiled too, watching as his nephew got to know his other uncle. Theseus sighed contentedly as he cooed over the baby. 

They didn't know how much longer they'd be confined to the safe house, or what more this terrible war would bring. But right now, with Theseus reunited with his family, it didn't matter. This was home, for all of them. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think!
> 
> Note on baby's name: Ari is Hebrew for lion.


End file.
